Discover the Charm of Lehigh Acres: Florida’s Best-Kept Secret

Lehigh Acres is a census-designated place (CDP) in Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 114,287, up from 86,784 at the 2010 census. Lehigh Acres is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is one of the fastest-growing communities in Lee County. It is bordered to the north by Alva, to the northwest by Buckingham, and to the southwest by Gateway, all unincorporated. It is bordered on the west by the city of Fort Myers, the Lee County seat, and extends east to the Hendry County line. Florida State Road 82 forms the southern border of the community; the highway leads west 15 miles (24 km) to the center of Fort Myers and southeast 20 miles (32 km) to Immokalee. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Lehigh Acres CDP has a total area of 94.2 square miles (243.9 km2), of which 92.7 square miles (240.0 km2) are land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), or 1.61%, are water.

Lehigh Acres Trailhead Park

Lehigh Acres Trailhead Park, located at 213 David Ave in Lehigh Acres, FL, is a beautifully designed, eco-friendly park offering a peaceful outdoor space for the community. The park features a 0.5-mile paved loop trail perfect for walking, jogging, biking, and skating, encircling a scenic 3-acre replicated prairie. Visitors can enjoy four HealthBeat outdoor fitness stations, picnic pavilions, restrooms, and pet-friendly amenities, including waste stations. Sustainability is at the heart of the park’s design, with recycled materials used in fitness equipment and boardwalks, as well as rain gardens to naturally filter stormwater. Native landscaping and preserved trees attract local wildlife, making it a great spot for birdwatching. Open daily from 7 AM to 8 PM, the park is free to visit and serves as a relaxing destination for nature lovers, families, and fitness enthusiasts. Plans are in place to connect the park to a 6-mile greenway trail system, further enhancing accessibility and outdoor recreation.

Edison & Ford Winter Estates

The Edison and Ford Winter Estates contain a historical museum and 21 21-acre (8.5 ha) botanical garden on the adjacent sites of the winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford beside the Caloosahatchee River in Southwestern Florida. It is located at 2350 McGregor Boulevard, Fort Myers, Florida.

On April 18, 2012, the American Institute of Architects' Florida Chapter placed the Edison and Ford Winter Estates on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places. The American Chemical Society recognized the Edison Botanical Research Laboratory at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates as a National Historic Chemical Landmark on May 25, 2014.

The present site dates from 1885, when Edison first visited Southwest Florida and purchased the property to build a vacation home. He had traveled down to St. Augustine, Florida, during the winter of 1885 at the behest of his doctor, who thought that the warmer climate would help cure an illness that Edison was suffering from. After recuperating in St. Augustine, he ended up traveling first across the state to Cedar Key, and from Cedar Key to Fort Myers. His home, completed in 1886 and later dubbed "Seminole Lodge", served as a winter retreat and place of relaxation until Edison died in 1931.

Edison's good friend, Henry Ford, purchased the adjoining property, "The Mangoes," from Robert Smith of New York in 1916. Ford's craftsman-style bungalow was built in 1911 by Smith. In 1947, Mrs. Mina Edison deeded the Edison property to the City of Fort Myers in memory of her husband for the enjoyment of the public. It was opened for public tours soon after.

In 1988, the adjacent Henry Ford winter estate was purchased and opened for public tours in 1990. In 2003, the governance of the site was transferred from the City to a new non-profit corporation, Thomas Edison & Henry Ford Winter Estates, Inc. (dba Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Inc.), whose mission is to protect, preserve, and interpret the site. The new corporation completed a $14 million restoration project in the following years. A separate fundraising arm, Edison-Ford Winter Estates Foundation, Inc., was created to assist the restoration project with no function in governance function.